Friends and family can come together for Community Fest

By Bryce Johnson •

The 21st annual Community Fest will take place on Saturday, Feb. 8 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Gold Circle Lake. The event is free and open to the South Florida community.

Community Fest will have free food and activities like face painting, mini golf, paddle boats and photo booths. Christina Rajkumar, director of Student Engagement, said that guests will also be able to meet local vendors, as well as NSU clubs, departments and organizations.

“Community Fest is one of my favorite events because you get to bring your family out. You get to see the kids really enjoy the attractions that we have. We have a petting zoo that we also bring on campus, so it’s one of those days where people just relax,” Rajkumar said.

Rajkumar said on average, more than 5,000 people attend Community Fest annually.

“This year will be Dr. Moon’s first Community Fest as our new president, so that’s something we’re excited for. He and Mrs. Moon will be at the event,” Rajkumar said.

Tamara Lumsden, assistant director of Club and Organization Engagement, first went to Community Fest in 2017, before she became a graduate assistant for the Office of Campus Life and Student Engagement. Now that she’s graduated from NSU and works fully with the office, she continues to help make Community Fest bigger every year.

“I am excited to see what the organizations do. Each year they find some creative way to interact with the families, the children and the students that come out, and even faculty,” Lumsden said.

Lumsden said her favorite memory from Community Fest is when she was a graduate student and went to the petting zoo. She recommends people attend the event so they can meet the community.

“It’s a day to not just interact with NSU students, because so many of our events are just for us. It’s also to make those connections with the community at large,” Lumsden said.

Rajkumar also encourages students to come so they can connect with more people.

“I like that our current students get a chance to reconnect with other students on campus,” Rajkumar said. “Also, they are able to showcase to our external community what their organizations are about.”